X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Spin: 2019 NBA Mock Draft (Part 3)

RotoBaller NBA expert Justin Carter continues his mock draft of the first round of the 2019 NBA draft from a fantasy perspective, rounding out the lottery with picks 15 through 30. Which NBA non-lottery rookies will have the biggest impact on fantasy basketball?

Welcome to the final part of RotoBaller's 2019 NBA mock draft, where I'll be looking at the non-lottery part of the first round.

Things get murkier here and paths to immediate NBA fantasy basketball impact get tough to judge, but there should still be some solid players in the mix who can help you in re-draft leagues and their NBA teams right off the bat.

Don't forget to check out the first and second parts if you haven't yet.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

GUYS TO CONSIDER: Bruno Fernando, KZ Okpala, Mflondu Kabengele, Luguentz Dort, Nicolas Claxton, Dylan Windler, Chuma Okeke, Jontay Porter

2019 NBA Mock Draft: Round 1 - Picks 15 through 30

15. Detroit Pistons: Nassir Little (F, North Carolina)

I've seen Little all over the place in mocks this year. A highly-touted prospect out of high school, he failed to crack double digits in scoring average at North Carolina and shot 26.9 percent from three.

Little's reportedly been showing improvement at workouts ahead of the draft and could be a late riser up draft boards, but I'm just not sure I see it. He doesn't have the size to be a guy who gets to the NBA and doesn't have an outside shot, because then he's basically stuck being an undersized four who isn't particularly helpful on defense aside from when he's crashing the boards. Detroit's a team that could fall in love with his upside, because they need an upside player, but I don't see his rookie year going very well.

16. Orlando Magic: Tyler Herro (G, Kentucky)

I was tempted to go with Bol Bol here because we know the Orlando Magic love size, but they might need to prioritize the ability to hit shots over the ability to be very tall.

In Herro, Orlando adds a strong shooter who can help a team that finished in the middle of the pack in long range shooting last year. With Terrence Ross a candidate to leave the Magic in free agency, Herro can step in and fill up some of the shot volume left behind by his departure. Herro's numbers from three weren't perfect last year with the Wildcats -- 35.5 percent on 4.6 attempts per game -- but his 93.5 percent shooting from the foul line is a reminder of just how good a shooter he is. Expect him to be a viable source of three pointers in fantasy leagues fairly quickly.

17. Atlanta Hawks: Keldon Johnson (F, Kentucky)

The Hawks got this pick from the Nets in the deal that also landed them Allen Crabbe, and while for the purposes of this mock, I'm ignoring the potential for picks to be traded...the Hawks have three first rounders and could definitely be looking to trade.'

But if they keep 17, Keldon Johnson makes sense for them. Johnson's NBA outlook is basically "three-and-D wing or bust," but his 38.1 percent mark from deep at Kentucky suggests he should be able to shoot at the next level. He'll be fine for the Hawks, who were third in the NBA in three-point attempts but just 16th in three-point field goal percentage.

18. Indiana Pacers: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (G, Virginia Tech)

The Pacers could use some guard depth, especially with Tyreke Evans currently banned from the league. They get that in Alexander-Walker.

He can shoot and defend, plus he's good enough as a passer to spend some time leading Indiana's bench units. Last year, he scored in the 88th percentile in transition and 82nd percentile on spot ups, and both of these are good signs for his ability to be Indiana's third guard. And with Victor Oladipo injury concerns, Alexander-Walker would find himself with some pretty immediate minutes and a sizable workload.

19. San Antonio Spurs: Kevin Porter Jr. (G, USC)

Porter didn't really show us enough in his one season at USC for us to get a great read on his ability to compete in the NBA, which is part of why I see him falling to 19. He can create his own shot, but I wouldn't trust him to create shots for others. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop, but he also flashed some high-level efficiency from deep as a Trojan.

But he's also shown signs of being a little too careless as a shooter, of being the guy who just wants to take whatever shot he can get. That can hurt him in the NBA, as can his lack of consistency on the other end. He's going to have to work on shot selection, but Porter has the chance to be a very good third guard.

20. Boston Celtics: Bol Bol (C, Oregon)

Bol Bol has been one of those prospects whose outlook over the last year has swung around wildly, but what it comes down to is that he's very tall and can shoot from anywhere and those are two very important things in a prospect.

Bol Bol played just nine games last year, so we're working off a small sample, but across those nine games he shot 52 percent from three on 2.8 attempts per game. He also grabbed 9.6 rebounds per contest. It's not hard to see Bol as someone who grabs a lot of rebounds, shoots the ball well, and gives you more assists than you're used to from a center.

But defensively...yikes. I've seen a decent amount of talk on Twitter comparing Bol to last year's number-one overall pick, Deandre Ayton, on that end, as both guys have offensive skill sets that fit what the NBA is looking for in a center who can stretch out the floor, but both also struggled in college to be playable defensively. Bol's physical build might make it harder for him to end up being useful defensively, as he may just be too slow to properly defend at this level. His offensive game will get him on the floor, but he's still such a project on the other end that I'd expect G-League minutes in his first season.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Johnson (F, North Carolina)

The Thunder add a senior to the team with this pick, and grabbing NBA ready guys makes sense for a team with Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Johnson's role in Oklahoma City, which would really be his role everywhere, will be to stay out past the arc and hit shots. The Thunder were the ninth-worst team by three-point field goal percentage last year and they could use a guy like Johnson in their wing rotation immediately.

22. Boston Celtics: Ty Jerome (G, Virginia)

So, the Celtics are obviously a bit in flux right now with Kyrie Irving likely heading out of Boston this Summer. Jerome would give them someone who can run the point, shoot, and generally avoids turning the ball over, and while his addition obviously doesn't make this team feel good about losing Irving, he can help bring some stability to the backcourt. Jerome would be a strong addition here and would likely be one of my fantasy sleepers come draft time.

23. Utah Jazz: Carsen Edwards (G, Purdue)

Is Edwards too short to be an off-ball guard? Maybe! Is he too much of a shooter to be a starting-caliber point guard? Maybe! Does he makes sense for the Jazz here? Maybe!

What Edwards would do in Utah is give the team a guard who can turn on the jets and fire the ball up to play off of Donovan Mitchell and whoever the starting point guard in Utah ends up being. He fits the profile of a Lou Williams type player, and Utah could use that. Might take some time to work him into the rotation, but keep an eye on him over the course of the season.

24. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle (F, Washington)

Sixers fans really want Thybulle. He's so good on the defensive end that you can kind of look past the fact that hie shooting numbers are a little meh, as he's improved inside the arc while seeing his three-point percentage steadily drop over the last couple of seasons.

But at pick 24, Philly's willing to pick him for that defensive upside -- his combination of rebounding, blocking, and stealing suggests he could end up as one of the NBA's top wing defenders -- and hope that he can knock down shots on a team where he won't be asked to handle much offensively. This seems like a thing that can work for the Sixers, but it might not be the best thing for fantasy teams that are looking for immediate impact.

25. Portland Trail Blazers: Goga Bitadze (C, Mega Bemax)

A lot of people who I really trust are very high on Bitadze. I haven't spent much time watching his tape, so I'm going to defer to them a little here, but I keep hearing that he's an inside-out scorer who can block a ton of shots, a guy who has a lot of ability to work in the post but can also pop out to the perimeter. He's got a lot of athleticism, which will help him fit into any team's defensive schemes, and he makes a lot of sense on a Trail Blazers team that has some need at center with Jusuf Nurkic injured and depth at the position being virtually non-existent. Not sure I'd be ready to call him a guy to target in re-draft leagues just yet, but I like what I've heard and the tape I've seen.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bruno Fernando (C, Maryland)

Another center whose projections have been all over the place. He's a dunker on the offensive end, and having him as a lob threat can be a good way of helping make things easier on point guard Collin Sexton. He's also got some touch on his shot, which can help him reach his upside, but he's another guy whose defense is questionable enough that it's best to assume it takes some time for him to reach his potential.

27. Brooklyn Nets: Talen Horton-Tucker (G, Iowa State)

Another favorite of Draft Twitter, Horton-Tucker fits the "get guys with upside" model that the Nets have undertaken. Since they won't know for sure on the night of the draft if they're adding stars and rocketing into contention, I think they should go with the guy left on the board with the most star potential.

THT can finish at the basket and has great size, which will make him a big threat in transition. His shooting is a question mark, which is a big part of why he fell this far, but the Nets have done a good job getting a guy like Caris Levert transformed into a capable shooter, so it can happen with Horton-Tucker too. Will take some time, though.

28. Golden State Warriors: Grant Williams (F, Tennessee)

One of my Twitter buddies, Max Carlin, has Williams fourth on his board, in large part because of how much of an impact he can have defensively:

Offensively, Williams is an efficient post scorer, and he averaged 3.2 assists per game last year. He can also score in the midrange, and his touch suggests that he could even be a stretch four one day. Williams has a chance to be the full package for whatever team gets him, a better version of someone like P.J. Tucker.

29. San Antonio Spurs: KZ Okpala (F, Stanford)

Okpala is another prospect who NBA Twitter has all kinds of varying opinions on, but I'm of the opinion that his frame is too small for the kind of game he wants to play. Okpala wants to drive, but he's got to become more of a shooter, something that his college career suggests could happen. I wouldn't be betting on him being an impact player right away.

30. Milwaukee Bucks: Chuma Okeke (F, Auburn)

Defense. Passing. A 38.9 percent shooter from three in his two college seasons. The biggest knock on Okeke is that he's a bit of a tweener, but I'm pretty confident he'll be able to defend the four and play there on a full-time basis.

Okeke torn his ACL during the NCAA Tournament, though, and will miss a good chunk of his rookie year, making him not someone to consider for fantasy purposes.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF